﻿416 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ass. 
  27 
  

  

  tions. 
  While 
  this 
  belief 
  may 
  seem 
  strange 
  and 
  irrational, 
  it 
  was 
  

   logical 
  and 
  vitally 
  effectual 
  to 
  the 
  Omaha 
  and 
  underlay 
  his 
  organi- 
  

   zation, 
  ceremonies, 
  and 
  public 
  and 
  private 
  acts. 
  So 
  when 
  the 
  leader 
  

   and 
  his 
  followers 
  had 
  received 
  instructions 
  from 
  the 
  keeper 
  of 
  one 
  

   of 
  the" 
  Sacred 
  Packs 
  and 
  had 
  secured 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  sacred 
  

   birds 
  that 
  would 
  act 
  as 
  a 
  medium 
  between 
  them 
  and 
  the 
  Thunder 
  

   god, 
  they 
  felt 
  themselves 
  ready 
  to 
  face 
  any 
  danger; 
  and, 
  in 
  any 
  event, 
  

   the 
  responsibility 
  for 
  their 
  acts 
  rested 
  with 
  the 
  supernatural 
  agencies 
  

   they 
  had 
  invoked. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  man 
  applied 
  for 
  authority 
  to 
  lead 
  an 
  aggressive 
  war 
  party 
  

   the 
  keeper 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pack 
  invited 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'he- 
  

   wachi 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  party. 
  The 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  war 
  party 
  provided 
  the 
  

   feast. 
  At 
  this 
  gathering 
  songs 
  and 
  dances 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  IIo 
  n 
  'he- 
  

   wachi 
  (night 
  dance) 
  were 
  sung 
  but 
  not 
  those 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  counting 
  

   (p. 
  495) 
  and 
  tattooing 
  ceremonies 
  (p. 
  503). 
  These 
  songs 
  were 
  given 
  to 
  

   remove 
  from 
  the 
  minds 
  of 
  the 
  men 
  about 
  to 
  go 
  forth 
  all 
  fear 
  of 
  death 
  

   by 
  bringing 
  before 
  them 
  the 
  symbolism 
  of 
  night, 
  which 
  represented 
  

   both 
  death 
  and 
  birth. 
  The 
  feast 
  took 
  place 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  dwelling 
  

   belonging 
  to 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  u 
  'hewaclii. 
  On 
  this 
  occasion 
  the 
  

   keeper 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pack 
  conducted 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  (which 
  were 
  

   sometimes 
  omitted 
  if 
  haste 
  was 
  required). 
  Just 
  before 
  they 
  were 
  

   ready 
  to 
  start, 
  the 
  men 
  of 
  the 
  war 
  party, 
  led 
  by 
  their 
  leader, 
  performed 
  

   the 
  mi'Jcapi 
  dance 
  (mi'kapi, 
  "wolf;'' 
  the 
  wolf 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  connected 
  

   with 
  war). 
  The 
  dance 
  was 
  an 
  appeal 
  to 
  the 
  wolf 
  that 
  the 
  men 
  might 
  

   partake 
  of 
  his 
  predatory 
  character, 
  of 
  his 
  ability 
  to 
  roam 
  and 
  not 
  be 
  

   homesick. 
  The 
  dance 
  was 
  in 
  rhythmic 
  steps, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  dramatic 
  

   and 
  imitative 
  of 
  the 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  wolf 
  — 
  his 
  rapid 
  trot 
  and 
  sudden 
  

   and 
  alert 
  stops. 
  The 
  music 
  of 
  the 
  songs 
  is 
  lively, 
  well 
  accented, 
  and 
  

   inspiriting. 
  

  

  The. 
  first 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  mi'leapi 
  song 
  has 
  no 
  words, 
  only 
  

   vocables. 
  The 
  words 
  in 
  the 
  second 
  part 
  are 
  given 
  below. 
  

  

  